Usc Aide May Rejoin Johnson As Defensive Coach

January 8, 1986|By Fran LaBelle, Staff Writer

Dave Wannstedt, who coached with Jimmy Johnson at the University of Pittsburgh and under him at Oklahoma State, appears on the verge of joining Johnson`s football coaching staff at Miami as defensive coordinator.

Johnson, whose Hurricanes finished 10-2 in his second season, confirmed Tuesday that he was close to signing Wannstedt.

Tuesday night, Johnson was still awaiting word from Wannstedt, whom Johnson said had gone back to California to discuss the move with Southern Cal coach Ted Tollner.

``I can`t make an announcement until I`ve heard something,`` Johnson said from his hotel room in New Orleans, where he is attending a coaches` conference.

If hired, Wannstedt, 33, would replace Paul Jette, who accepted a job as defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Texas.

An offensive lineman who captained Pitt`s 1973 Fiesta Bowl team, Wannstedt was drafted in the 12th round by the Green Bay Packers in 1974. He spent his rookie season on injured reserve following neck surgery, and the following year he joined Johnny Majors` staff at Pitt as a graduate assistant coach.

After two years, Wannstedt was made a full-time coach by Jackie Sherrill and became assistant offensive line coach.

When Johnson became head coach at Oklahoma State in 1979, he took Wannstedt with him. In 1982, he became Johnson`s defensive coordinator.

In the spring of 1983, Wannstedt joined Southern Cal as a defensive line coach. This year, the Trojans` 6-6 season had critics calling for his resignation, despite the fact that injuries took a toll on USC.

According to one source, Trojans coach Ted Tollner was under pressure to replace some of his assistants, and Wannstedt was one of the names most frequently mentioned.

Johnson said he plans to have his staff completed no later than Thursday.

``I am very close to filling the defensive coordinator position,`` Johnson said. ``I hope to make an announcement on the secondary coach and linebacker coach (Wednesday) or Thursday.``

Favored to fill the job as secondary coach, which also became open with Jette`s move, are Carlos Mainord, secondary coach at Texas Tech; Larry Coyer, an assistant coach with Memphis of the USFL; and Bill Miller of Nevada-Reno.

Jim Dickey, fired at Kansas State, and Trent Walters, who lost his job at Pitt following the resignation of Foge Fazio, apparently have withdrawn from consideration.

Former Miami Dolphins All-Pro linebacker A.J. Duhe has been offered a position as graduate assistant in charge of linebackers. He would replace linebacker coach Mike Knoll, who has become head coach at New Mexico State.